1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which can detachably mounted to an image processing apparatus (referred to as "main machine" hereinafter) such as an image recording apparatus, an image reading apparatus or the like as an option equipment and which is adapted to print predetermined information on a sheet (continuous sheet, card, cut sheet or the like) discharged from the main machine when mounted to the main machine.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, for example, in banking facilities such as banks and security companies, image information on a sheet-shaped original such as a bill, a check, a share and the like has been treated (recorded and preserved) by an image recording apparatus such as a microfilmer, an image scanner or the like.
Further, in order to prove the fact that the predetermined treatment has been performed, in respective banking facilities, contents such as a name and a branch number of a receiving and treating facility, a treatment code, a date and the like are generally stamped (printed) on a rear surface of the treated (recorded) original. To this end, in some image recording apparatuses, there is further provided a stamping apparatus in which the above-mentioned contents are automatically stamped on the treated (recorded) original passed through a recording portion of the image recording apparatus, so that a "treated" mark and/or additional information can be stamped on the treated original on demand.
FIG. 18 schematically shows an example of such an image recording apparatus 10. A stamping apparatus 13 is an option equipment which can detachably mounted to the image recording apparatus 10 optionally by a user and is mechanically and electrically connected to a sheet discharge opening 19 of the image recording apparatus 10. In a condition that the stamping apparatus 13 is mounted to the image recording apparatus 10, a sheet supply opening 20 of the stamping apparatus 13 is connected to the sheet discharge opening 19 of the image recording apparatus 10 to communicate both apparatuses 10, 13 with each other.
In the image recording apparatus 10, sheet-shaped originals (referred to as "sheets" hereinafter) P such as bills, checks or shares are stacked on a sheet supply tray 1. When a record start key (not shown) is depressed, the sheets (originals) P stacked on the tray 1 are separated one by one by means of a sheet supply roller 2 and a separation roller 3 and are successively supplied within the apparatus. The supplied sheet is conveyed at a predetermined speed through a sheet convey path (within the apparatus) constituted by pairs of convey rollers 4, 5, 7, and 8, and guide members.
While the separated sheet P is being conveyed between the pairs of convey rollers 5 and 7, image information on the sheet P is record-treated by a recording portion 6. The recording portion 6 comprises a reduction projection optical system or a photo-electrical conversion reading system and serves to record the image information on the conveyed sheet P on an electrical recording medium such as a microfilm, an optical disc or a magnetic disc.
The recorded sheet P passed through the recording portion 6 passes through the pairs of convey rollers 7, 8 and is introduced into the stamping apparatus 13 connected to the original discharge opening of the image recording apparatus 10. The recorded sheet P introduced into the stamping apparatus 13 is further conveyed at a predetermined speed through a sheet convey path (within the stamping apparatus 13) constituted by pairs of convey rollers 14, 17 and guide members. While the sheet P is being conveyed between the pairs of convey rollers 14 and 17, when the sheet is passed between a stamp portion 15 (disposed between the roller pairs 14 and 17) and a platen roller 16 opposed to the stamp portion, the contents is stamped on the surface of the sheet P. For example, the stamp portion 15 comprises a stamp printing mechanism including a stamp drum or an ink jet head.
In this way, the recorded and stamped sheets P'are successively discharged from a sheet discharge opening 21 of the stamping apparatus 13 onto a sheet discharge tray 18.
In the image recording apparatus 10, within the sheet convey path, between the pairs of rollers 4 and 5 disposed at an upstream side of the recording portion 6 in a sheet conveying direction, a sheet detect sensor 9 is disposed so that a sheet tip end detect signal from the sensor 9 is inputted to a control circuit 11 of the image recording apparatus 10. The control circuit 11 serves to control a record start timing of the recording portion 6 of the image recording apparatus and a stamp start timing of the stamp portion 15 of the stamping apparatus 13 on the basis of inputted signal.
The rollers 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 of the image recording apparatus 10 are driven by a drive motor 12 disposed within the image recording apparatus 10 through drive transmitting means (not shown) such as belts and/or gears. The rollers 14, 16 and 17 of the stamping apparatus 13 are connected to the drive motor 12 disposed within the image recording apparatus 10 through drive transmitting means (not shown) such as belts and/or gears and are driven at a speed synchronous with a sheet conveying speed of the rollers of the image recording apparatus by means of the drive motor 12 of the image recording apparatus 10.
Although it is desirable that the conventional stamping apparatus 13 as the option equipment as mentioned above can easily be mounted and dismounted with respect to the image recording apparatus (main machine) by the user and can be used in a correctly mounted condition, since the stamping machine must be mechanically and electrically connected to the image recording apparatus 10 exactly, such connection must be effected by an expert. That is to say, in the conventional stamping apparatus 13, since the stamp start timing is controlled on the basis of the sheet detect signal from the sheet detect sensor 9 of the image recording apparatus 10, it is difficult that the electrical connection between the stamping apparatus and the image recording apparatus 10 is omitted.
In order that the stamping apparatus as the option equipment can easily be mounted and dismounted with respect to the image recording apparatus 10 by the user without any expert, it is required that special mechanical and electrical connections (between the image recording apparatus and the stamping apparatus 13) for transmission of drive and signals are omitted. And, to this end, it is desirable that the stamping apparatus 13 also has a drive source so as to drive the stamping apparatus by a power source different from that of the image recording apparatus 10.
However, if the power source and associated power source switch of the stamping apparatus 13 are provided independently from those of the image recording apparatus 10, when the system is used, since the power source switch of the image recording apparatus 10 must be turned ON and at the same time the power source switch of the stamping apparatus 13 must be turned ON, the operation becomes complicated. And, it is apt to forget to turn ON the power source switch of the stamping apparatus 13.
If only the image recording apparatus 10 is driven to convey the sheet P while keeping the stamping apparatus 13 OFF, the recorded sheet P introduced from the image recording apparatus 10 into the stamping apparatus 13 is jammed without fail at a junction between the image recording apparatus 10 and the stamping apparatus 13 since the convey rollers of the stamping apparatus 13 are not driven. In such a case, since the sheet (original) P is an important document such as a bill, a check or the like, it is not preferable that the sheet is folded or damaged due to the sheet jam.
Further, in the image recording apparatus 10, generally, a reading speed of the sheet P, i.e., sheet conveying speed is changed to change (on demand) a reading resolving power of the image on the sheet at the recording portion 6 in a sub-scan direction (sheet conveying direction) of the image, and, also in the stamping apparatus 13 connected to the image recording apparatus 10, the sheet conveying speed and the stamp start timing of the stamping apparatus must be changed in accordance with the sheet discharging speed from the image recording apparatus 10. However, it is very difficult to effect such change without special mechanical and electrical connections between the image recording apparatus and the stamping apparatus.